New containers boost export capacity of automobiles

CHONGQING — A China-Europe freight train loaded with new 40-foot, 35-metric-ton general-purpose automobile containers departed from Chongqing in Southwest China earlier this week, marking an innovation that makes the transportation of vehicles by rail more efficient.

The containers were carrying 182 automobiles from China Changan Automobile Group Co Ltd, an automaker headquartered in Chongqing, a major automotive manufacturing hub.

With the new containers, Chongqing is boosting the capacity of China-Europe freight train services to meet growing demand for automobile export transportation.

The containers are an innovative piece of equipment designed for the export of domestically-made passenger cars, according to Guan Yu, manager of the marketing department of the Chengdu branch of China Railway Container Transport Corp Ltd.

Compared with traditional general-purpose containers, which can carry at most three sedans or two SUVs, the new container can hold up to four sedans or four SUVs per unit, reducing the transport cost per vehicle, according to Guan.

Meanwhile, the new container is designed to be compatible with rail, road and maritime transport, offering more flexible equipment options for building an efficient multimodal transport network, said Huang Man, deputy general manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Logistics Co Ltd, noting that demand for transporting domestically-made vehicles for export has continued to rise in recent years.

China-Europe freight train services experienced robust growth in the first quarter of 2026, with 5,460 train trips and 546,000 containers of goods transported, marking year-on-year increases of 29 percent and 22 percent, respectively, according to China State Railway Group.

XINHUA-CHINA DAILY